Access to the Alachua Freenet

Alachua Freenet is a computer system run by the non-profit corporation Alachua Freenet, Inc. Its purpose is to provide basic computing access to the local community (the county of Alachua), to provide a central server for local information, and to help members of the community learn about computers and the information available on the Internet.

Alachua Freenet accounts are free for those living within Alachua County and surrounding communities. Both individuals and organizations may get accounts. Here is information on setting up an AFN account.

There are a variety of ways to access Alachua Freenet. This page describes those methods and how to get started. Please read ALL of the information provided, to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings.

Dialup Access

Access to Alachua Freenet via a modem, a computer, and a communications program is possible for registered account holders with the following number:

      Number           Time Limit   # of lines
      --------------------------------------------------------------
      (352) 334-0565   60 minutes   72 (all modems are v.90 capable)

You should configure your communications software for the following:

      Speed:     1200 thru 115200 BPS (Bits Per Second)
      Data bits: 8
      Parity:    None
      Stop bits: 1

Though a PPP connection is the recommended access method (see below), you can connect using a simple VT100-like terminal emulation program, such as Hyperterminal for Windows or Comet for Macintosh. Enter your account username at the Username: prompt, then your password at the Password: prompt. Enter a "1" for text-mode access. The connection dialogue looks like this:

Welcome to AFN's new terminal server.
Please enter you username and password.
To register for a new account type register as your username.


User Access Verification

Username: afn99999
Password:


1) For Text Access
2) For SLIP
3) For PPP
4) Exit

AFN-TS3>1

At this point you'll be asked for your username and password again to log on the AFN interactive server.

Note: Alachua Freenet does not provide any local dial-up access for people outside of the Gainesville, FL calling area. If you live outside of that calling area and dial the Alachua Freenet computer system as a long-distance call, your phone company will charge you accordingly. It is your decision.

PPP/SLIP Access

The recommended method for using AFN's dial-up lines is with PPP sessions, configured using "Dial-up Networking" under Windows ("Network and Dial-up Connections" under Windows 2000). PPP or SLIP connections allow you to run network applications (including graphical WWW browsers) on your home computer directly. More detailed information is available on our PPP Page.

Telnet Access

You can connect to Alachua Freenet via telnet by using the Internet address afn.org. A limited number of telnet sessions are allowed at one time, so you may receive a "System is busy" message when you attempt to connect. When that happens, simply wait several minutes and try again.

Walk-Up Terminals

There are several public terminals that anyone can walk up to and use to login to Alachua Freenet via Telnet. They are located in the Headquarters branch of the Alachua County Library District (downtown Gainesville).

Walk-up terminals have a strictly enforced time limit of only 20 minutes per connection, and are meant to be shared by everyone, not monopolized.

World Wide Web Access

While it is not possible to actually login to Alachua Freenet via the World Wide Web, it is possible to access AFN's resources via our WWW server. Alachua Freenet's WWW address is:

http://www.afn.org.

It is accessible using any standard World Wide Web browser (such as Netscape, Internet Explorer, Lynx, etc.). All menus are available, though not all menu functions are. Services such as IRC and disk storage related operations are not available via the Web interface.

FTP Access

Access to Alachua Freenet's FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server is available using the address:

ftp.afn.org

Anyone may login anonymously (use the login name "anonymous" and give your Email address as the password), and registered users also have the option to login with their AFN account name and password, to directly access their own directories via FTP. This is the supported method for uploading files for user account Web pages.

Remote E-Mail Access

Remote access to E-mail for Alachua Freenet users is available via the IMAP/POP3 and SMTP protocols. However, you must be a registered AFN user to use these services. Read this for more details.

Other Ways to Gain Access to the Internet and Alachua Freenet

For those who are interested in alternative ways to obtain access to the internet and the Alachua Freenet, including commercial internet access, we maintain a list of known local (Alachua County based) Internet Service Providers.

AFN Webmaster